CCFR to burn five-story home in Saturday training

An exterior view of the house, 990 Otter Run Street, that was donated to the fire department by Juneau resident David MacDonald. Capital City Fire & Rescue will be burning the house down on Saturday at noon as a live fire training drill.

Janet MacDonald, the sister of David MacDonald who donated his house to the fire department, walks inside what used to be the kitchen area of the home on Otter Run. A new, smaller home will be built in its place about three years down the road, Janet said.

Firefighters will be burning down a five-story home at the end of Fritz Cove Road on Saturday as part of a training exercise.

The cul-de-sac where the house is located, 990 Otter Run, off of Fox Farm Trail, will be closed to the public during the event.

Capital City Fire & Rescue Fire Training Officer Nathan Young says the public will be able to get a good view of the burn from North Douglas near the boat launch before False Outer Point.

“It’s going to be spectacular,” Young said.

CCFR will be doing a number of small training fires in the house in the morning beginning at 8 a.m., but the best viewing time for the public will be from a little before 12 p.m. to 12:30 p.m. Young says that’s when CCFR will “let it go.”

The house was donated to CCFR from Juneau resident David MacDonald. His sister Janet MacDonald says that a new, smaller home will be built in its place a couple of years down the road.

The fire department receives about four to five offers to burn homes each year, but it’s rare that CCFR can take them up on their offer since there are special safety and regulatory requirements in place from multiple different agencies. An example would be the home cannot be near a power line or another home.

The last time CCFR conducted a live fire training drill at a home was about two and a half years ago in North Douglas, Young said.

Some 40 to 50 firefighters, both rookies and veterans, will be partaking in Saturday’s live drill.